Luke Perry’s Fred Andrews Was the Beating Heart of Riverdale

Whenever Archie Andrews came to his father for advice, the answer was almost always the same. As Fred Andrews told his son in the teen soap’s second episode, “If you know it’s the right thing to do—even though it’s tough, even though it might cost you—you gotta do it.”

In a neon-lit town filled to the brim with nihilistic personalities, Luke Perry’s wholesome patriarch has radiated warmth since Riverdale launched in 2017. He’s a man apart from the rest of his community—a townie who genuinely loves his home, and fights in every way he can to preserve its heart. Above all, Fred Andrews has been a man guided by a moral code that places honesty, integrity, and family above all else—brought to life by Perry’s weary face and nervously furrowed brow, which hinted at a backstory littered with hardships. But his kind eyes betrayed no hint of bitterness. Without Perry’s empathetic understanding of his character and the world he occupies, Riverdale might be all bluster. Instead, Perry has given the show its emotional core.

It’s no wonder, then, that Riverdale has halted production for the day, following Perry’s sudden death Monday morning. As Perry’s fans grieve, the loss will no doubt be even greater for his co-stars, both current and former. In an emotional joint statement, Riverdale executive producers, Warner Bros., and the CW emphasize what they’ve lost: “Luke was everything you would hope he would be: an incredibly caring, consummate professional with a giant heart, and a true friend to all,” the statement read. “A father figure and mentor to the show’s young cast, Luke was incredibly generous, and he infused the set with love and kindness.”

That kindness was palpable on-screen as well, especially in Perry’s scenes with KJ Apa From the very beginning, Fred and Archie’s bond has been believable—even enviable. When Archie found himself dreaming of becoming a musician rather than taking over the family business, Fred’s only qualm was that his son spent so much time lying to him about his true feelings. The earnestness of scenes like these could have made them feel incompatible with a show known for being campy and ridiculous; instead, they grounded Riverdale in real feeling. The romances in this world are often fleeting; the friendships, transactional. But the bond that Fred shared with his son was pure love, patient and kind.

Perry’s performance also formed a clever dialogue with his past work. Although Gen Z will likely forever remember the actor as Fred Andrews, Gens X and Y will always call him by a different name: Dylan McKay. Even as a twentysomething soap star on Beverly Hills, 90210, Perry brought soul to his James Dean–esque character, who could have been just another stereotypical bad boy. His generous yet self aware performance made the character endlessly lust-worthy for a generation of teenagers—and on Riverdale, one constantly catches whiffs of the old Dylan McKay magic.

In some ways, Fred Andrews always seemed unmoored in time—contemplating his goofier, more innocent teenage self, while realizing that those days were long past him. Like his son, Fred was once a lovable, oafish jock with big dreams; he wanted to become mayor of Riverdale until his father died, leading him to take over the family construction business. From some angles, he was an aged Dylan McKay—a vibrant soul whose life did not go as planned, but who still harbored boundless gratitude for what he had. That’s the beauty of Fred Andrews: he’s a character you can’t help but feel for, even if he never needed or even wanted our pity.

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No matter the disappointments he has faced on Riverdale, Fred has stood incorruptible for three seasons, despite numerous temptations. He was a gracious loser in the mayoral election—even though he was beaten by his old flame, Hermione, who only won due to her dirty tricks on the campaign trail. He supported his son through a tumultuous relationship with Hermione and Hiram’s daughter, Veronica—allowing any malice to surface only when Hiram threatened his son. He welcomed the Southside Serpents into his home when the gang found themselves with nowhere else to go, even cooking them a pancake breakfast. Give or take a moral slip or two, Fred has been unimpeachable—much like well-meaning Dylan McKay. As Riverdale continues on without him, that source of light will be hard to replace.